Rating Vote:

Always a Step Behind

Posted December 28, 2011 12:37 PM

It is said that no matter what technologies you incorporate into your test strategy, you are always one step behind the products you manufacture. Test equipment is of necessity designed from existing technology, but by the time it appears on the market, product technology has moved on. What do you think? Are testers catching up? Do standards like boundary scan, PXI, and AXIe change that equation? What about embedded test? Programming environments like LabView that can guide you through test development? What future developments could further narrow the technology gap?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Test & Measurement, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Test & Measurement today.

Re: Always a Step Behind

12/29/2011 9:42 AM

Most of the time it is the Cause and Effect approach that prevails in the analysis of things. It is the final outcome that calls or attracts attention. I believe it is just in the very nature of whatever presently needed that triggers the cause. That maybe followed by a later thoughts on what may be the final outcome! Sort of do it now then worry later mentality..

Re: Always a Step Behind

12/29/2011 3:57 PM

The test equipment companies have been ahead of the general industry in MANY application areas for 20 years. Consider the advancement in A/D and D/A convertor sampling rates and bandwidths. These were achieved with joint efforts between IBM and a few high-end test equipment companies.

These same TE companies work closely with industry on new standards for nearly every communication system that is available, usually years before the systems are put into practical use. Test equipment is made available for the R & D of these systems years before the standards can be put on the market.

Re: Always a Step Behind

12/29/2011 4:49 PM

In the 60's when digital electronics are just on its early stages, I still remember having to troubleshoot digital timers and pyrometers that uses Nixie tubes as their display devices. This are used as controllers for plastic injection moulding machines. During troubleshooting, I still use analog multimeter and oscilloscopes. HP later on came out with a digital multimeter using the same Nixie tubes to display measured parameters. Having a first hand /personal experience on that, I tend to agree that TE are a step behind most of the time.. probably due to the fact that they won't have any idea on what to test for as of yet!